Car-brake.



'No. 644,023. Patented Feb: 20, I900.

F. s. suvngn.

GAR BRAKE (Application filed Mar. 17, 1899. Renewed Feb. 1, 1900.)

(No M0691.)

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U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK STEPHENSON SNYDER, OF NEWBURG, NEW YORK.

CAR-BRAKl-i.

SPECIFICATION forming m of Letters Patent No. 644,093, dated February 20, 1900.

Application filed March 17, 1899. Renewed February 1, 1900. Serial No. 8,557. (No model.

To an whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK STEPHENSON SNYD ER, Of Newburg, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Car-Brake; of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved car-brake which is simple and durable in construction, very edective in operation, and arranged to enable the operator to bring the car very quickly to a standstill in case of an emergency.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement as'applied and with parts in sect-ion.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 3 3 in Fig.

1. Fig. 4 is a similar view of part of the improvement on the line 4 4. in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation with parts in section of a modified form of the improvement, and Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement shown in Fig. 1 and with the brake applied.

The improved car-brake illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 operates in conjunction with a car-wheel A and the rail B, on which the said car-wheel travels. The tread of the wheel A is adapted to be engaged by a wheel-shoe C, movably held in a casing D and having a spring E interposed between the shoe and casing, for the purpose hereinafter more fully described. The casing D is pivotally connected at D with a rail-shoe F, hung at its upper end at F on a truck-frame G, and said rail-shoe F is engaged by the cross-beam H of a wheel-brake-operating mechanism for applying and releasing the brakes. The bot tom of the rail-shoe F is adapted to move in contact with the rail B, so as to form an emergency-brake for quickly bringing the car to a standstill after the brake O has been applied on the wheel A. The forward end of the rail-shoe F is fo'rmed into a receptacle J, adapted to receive sand through a flexible spout K, connected with a sand-box K, carried on the truck-frame G or other part of the car. The receptacle J is provided with a valve-opening in its bottom, normally closed by a weighted valve L, the lower end of which extendssomewhat below the bottom of the rail-shoe F, so that when the latter moves toward the rail B the lower projecting end of the valve finally comes in contact with said rail B and is lifted ofi its seat to allow the sand contained in the receptacle J to pass upon the rail to sand the latter for the wheel A, as well as the shoe F, to insure a firm grip of the said shoe and wheel on the rail.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the shoe 0 is formed at or near its middle with an elongated slot 0, through which extends a pin D carried by the casing D, to limit the sliding movementof the shoe 0 in said casing D.

The operation is as follows: When the several parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, then the brake is in a release positionthat is, the brake-shoe C is out of frictional contact with the wheel A and the rail-shoe F is out of frictional contact with the corresponding rail B. When theoperator actuates the brake mechanism in the usual manner, then the cross beam I-I moves rearwardly, and thereby imparts a swinging motion to the shoe F, and as the latter is pivotally connected with the casing D it is evident that said casing, as well as the shoe 0, moves rearwardly to finally bring the brake-shoe O in frictional contact with the tread of the wheel A. Upon a further rearward movement of the cross-beam H and a rearward swinging of the shoe F the spring E is compressed, and the shoe 0 is moved with more force in frictional contact with the tread of the wheel A; but the casing D is free to move rearwardly to allow free rearward swinging of the railshoe F, so that the latter finally swings in frictional engagement with the rail B. When this takes place, the car is brought to avery quick standstill, owing to the friction of both brake-shoes on the wheel A and rail B, and at the same time the rail B is sanded to insure a proper grip of the shoe F on the said rail B.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the wheel-shoe C is fitted to slide in a casing D and having a spring E interposed between the casing and wheel-shoe; but in this case the brake-shoe is not pivotally connected with the rail-shoe F but is formed with a guideway D, engaging a pin G on thetruck G. The rail-shoe F rests loosely against the back of the casing D so that when a rearward swinging motion is given to the rail-shoe by the cross-beam H it is evident the casing D is moved rearwardly, sliding with its guideway D on the pin G Otherwise the result is the same as above described in reference to Fig. 1that is, the shoe 0 is applied on the wheel Aand upon further application of the brake mechanism the railshoe F moves in engagement with the rail B to insure a quick stopping of the car. On a forward movement of the cross-beam the railshoe F is caused to swing forward to allow the wheel-shoe to move out of braking contact with the wheel by its own weight. The sanding mechanism for the shoe F is the same as above described, so that further description of the same is not deemed neces sary. \Vhen the cross-beam H is released, the shoe F swings forwardly and out of frictional contact with the rail B, and the shoe 0 moves out of frictional contact with the wheel A to free the latter.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A car-brake provided with a wheel-shoe, a casing in which the wheel-shoe is mounted, a spring interposed between the wheel-shoe and the casing, and a rail-shoe mounted to swing and connected with. the casing to move the latter rearwardly and compress the spring to apply the wheel-shoe, the said casing being free to move rearwardly after the application of the wheel-shoe to allow free rearward swinging of the rail-shoe, whereby the latter is brought into frictional engagement with the rail after the wheel-shoe is applied, substantially as described.

2. A car-brake provided with a wheel-shoe, a casing in which said wheel-shoe is mounted to move, means for limiting the movement of the shoe in the casing, a rail-shoe connected with the wheel-shoe to move the latter in frictional contact with the car-wheel, means for actuating said rail-shoe to apply the wheel-shoe and to subsequently apply the rail-shoe on the rail and a valved sanding device carried by the rail-shoe and adapted to open when the rail-shoe moves toward the rail, substantially as shown and described.

3. A car-brake provided with a wheel-shoe,

a curved rail-shoe having an approximately vertical member and an approximately horizontal member, the vertical member being pivoted at its upper end, the said rail-shoe being connected with the wheel-shoe to move the latter in frictional contact with the carwheel, and means connected with the said rail-shoe at the angle or junction of the members, to actuate the rail-shoe to apply the wheel-shoe and to subsequently apply the railshoe on the rail, substantially as described.

FRANK STEPHENSON SNYDER. Witnesses:

J. R. THOMPSON, J r., H. R. LYDECKER. 

